The average age of a vehicle in Colorado, though, is 11 years, so many vehicles could be sold without any disclosure that they were totaled.

What's more, Colorado doesn't require a salvage designation to differentiate between a car totaled in a collision and one that has been totaled as a result of water damage.

State Rep. Spencer Swalm, R-Centennial, is considering legislation to address these issues.

Colorado had already been one of several states known as a good place to send water-damaged cars, according to a story in The New York Times earlier this year that detailed what was happening to vehicles damaged in Hurricane Sandy.

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Vehicle history information provider Carfax estimates there were 100,000 water-damaged vehicles from Hurricane Sandy that ended up back on the road. Some likely made it to Colorado, where cars could have their titles re-registered without any indication of flood damage — a process known as "title washing."

Any potential legislation should address the five-year window on salvage designations as well as require clear disclosure that a vehicle may be flood-damaged.

We understand insurers may have concerns that these vehicles they've declared totaled would suddenly get a scarlet letter and plunge in resale value, but we think the interest to consumers in knowing what they're getting is worth the transparency.

Car dealers in Colorado would also benefit from knowing what they're selling, avoiding needless disputes down the road with disgruntled customers.